so ive been flying for about two years now, got my part 107 last spring and been doing some side jobs here and there — real estate stuff mostly, a couple construction sites, one wedding which was honestly a nightmare but thats another story. my day job is fine but its not exactly exciting and ive been wondering lately if i could actually make a real go of doing drone work full time.

the thing is i genuinely dont know what the market is like in my area. im in a mid-sized city, not a huge metro, and while i can find work its not like jobs are just falling in my lap. mostly i get clients through word of mouth and one local facebook group for real estate agents. i have no idea if thats normal or if other pilots are doing way more outreach that im not even thinking about.

anyone here made the jump to full time? like what did your first year actually look like, not the polished version, the real one where you were probably stressed about money. trying to get a realistic picture before i do anything dumb.

honest answer? my first year was rough. i had savings to fall back on which saved me, if i hadnt had that buffer i think i wouldve quit by month four. real estate dried up way faster than i expected in the fall and i hadnt diversified enough. the guys i know who made it work early on were doing inspections, cell towers, roofing stuff — not just the pretty aerial photo jobs. the pretty jobs are competitive and the margins arent always great once you factor in your time for editing and back and forth with clients.

that said im in year three now and its genuinely good. not get rich good but i work for myself and that counts for a lot. i'd say dont quit your day job until you have at least 6 months of expenses saved AND you're already consistently turning away work because you dont have time. if you're not turning work away yet, youre not ready.

im kind of in the same boat as you actually so ill be following this thread. i passed my 107 eight months ago and the real estate stuff is kind of feast or famine depending on the housing market. one agent i work with keeps promising me referrals and then nothing comes of it lol. curious what kind of rates people are charging for the construction site stuff because i feel like im probably undercharging